“What was it about?” Carley asks.

“Alex.”

Confusion covers all three of their faces.

“The night of the Thursday game, in the locker room, I guess the team was talking about formal, who they wanted to ask, who they already asked.”

“No...” Carley trails off.

I nod. “Alex told the team he was going to ask me.”

“That’s the day before they both came to school with black eyes, right?” Carley remembers.

“I forgot about that...” I trail off.

What does that mean?

Does it even matter?

“Wait, that was also before Krista’s party.” Macy frowns. “He knew Alex wanted to ask you out before you two started pretending?”

“Yep, he played me.” I look to Krista. “You were right to question him when you told us Josie cheated on him with Alex. Nico knew all about my being interested in Alex.”

“Jesus,” she whispers, pity in her eyes.

I nod. “And remember how I said Nico told me Alex was talking to Sandra? Well, I never said anything to you guys, but Nico and Sandra were hooking up the first few weeks of school, so when Alex was after Sandra, she was already sleeping with Nico.”

“So Alex fucked Josie while her and Nic were still together, then Alex goes and fucks Sandra while she and Nico are hooking up?”

“And not only them two.” I frown. “Same thing happened with Miranda.”

“What?!”

“Holy shit!”

“I knew she was fucking students!”

They all fire off at the same time.

“It gets worse.”

They sit, wide-eyed and wait for more.

I hesitate, holding myself back a moment from spilling the secret nobody else seems to know, but I’ve lied and hidden things from my friends enough lately, and they have no reason to tell anyone what I’m about to share.

“Alex is Nico’s stepbrother.”

The three of them gape at me, at a loss for words.

“Turns out Nico’s dad is married to Alex’s mom.”

Krista frowns, sitting back. “How the hell could I not have known this?”

“I don’t think anyone does.”

“Trent?” She lifts a brow.

“It’s not his secret to share. Mine either but...” I shrug.

“Who told you?” Carley leans forward.

I scoff, shaking my head. “It was an interesting night.” I sigh. “My mom told me Dr. Hammons called to set up a dinner when really it was Nico’s dad who called her. Imagine walking into that home, knowing all you do now about our relationship, to find Mr. Sykes standing there, Nico walking through the door only minutes later.”

“Holy shit,” Carley whispers.

I look away. “Everything made sense all at once. Nico found a way he could get even with Alex, and he used me to make it happen.”

“What an asshole,” Macy mutters.

I nod, wiping under my eyes, looking at the black now covering my fingertips. “When Nico first suggested this stupid fake relationship, I thought it was nuts, but something had me saying screw it. It was the weekend, and I could change my mind when the week rolled around if I wanted, you know?” A sad laugh leaves me and I sniffle.

“But you never changed your mind,” Carley says quietly. “You fell for him instead.”

“I fell for the lie.” I look to the girls. “Being with him was so easy, fun and I don’t know, exciting. The more time we spent together, the more I thought he might have been thinking the same thing, but now I know it was all his plan.”

Krista reaches out, touching my hand. “I’m so sorry, Demi.”

I glance at Macy, who has a troubled look on her face.

She eyes me. “Did Nico admit this?”

“No, but he did stand there in front of everyone, in front of my mom, and say absolutely nothing.”

“You slept with him, didn’t you?” All eyes fly to Macy only to cut toward me.

I nod, and all three of my best friends climb on the couch beside me.

We sit there in silence a few minutes before Krista says, “I know it doesn’t help, but it didn’t look fake, Demi.”

It didn’t feel fake either.

The clink of the gate has my hands falling from my face as I lean back against the cool wicker. I already know who it is, so I don’t bother looking, my eyes sliding over the pool instead, trailing the light ripples the vacuum creates across the top as Trent drops in the chair opposite of me.

After a few minutes of nothing from me, he stands, lifting his seat with him and sets it directly in my line of sight.

He stares at me.

I stare right fuckin’ back.

He nods, pushes to his feet once more and grabs the football off the grass. Tossing it in the air, he steps back and waits.

He knows I haven’t touched a ball once this week. Shit’s fucked up and fucked up good when this happens.

He’s seen it before, when my dad first left my mom, and a few times in between.

I drag my ass from my seat, walking backward to the opposite side of the yard.

He tosses me the ball and a sense of ease floats over me when the hard rubber hits my fingertips, but it quickly fades.

We toss it back and forth a few times before Trent breaks the silence.

“You okay, man?”

“Does word really travel that fast or do you have a habit of checking up on her?”

His eyes narrow, but quickly smooth out. “She showed up at Krista’s a couple hours ago. I left so she could talk to her friends, but it was pretty obvious shit got spilled.”

“You happy about that?” I throw the ball a little harder.

He catches it with a glare. “Happy about my best friend losing the girl he’s always wanted and finally got? Nah man, can’t say I fuckin’ am.” He takes an extra second to bullet it back.

I drop my hands, allowing the ball to bounce off my chest. “How the fuck could you keep that shit from me? Two fuckin’ years, bro. You had two years to tell me you guys slept together and never did.”

Trent’s head falls before he meets my eyes again. “I fucked up. I’ve got no excuse. You told me freshman year you and her would never happen, and you started dating Josie on and off. I was the fool who believed you let Demi go just because you said you did. I get I should have stayed away from her regardless. You have no idea how shitty I’ve been feeling since I realized you still had feelings for her. Dirt,” he spits hatefully to himself. “I feel like straight-up dirt, man.”

“Not enough to open your mouth, though, yeah? Not until you had to?”

“I was straight-up terrified to tell you, didn’t wanna lose my best friend over something that didn’t mean what I knew you’d think it did. Nic, I swear on my life, man. I would never do something knowing it would fuck with our friendship. You’re like a brother to me. I would never risk that knowingly.”

I shake my head, and we both move back to the chairs.

It takes me a minute, but I look to him. “Why even fuck her? If it didn’t mean shit, Trent, why?”

“You really want to talk about this?”

I glare.

He sighs, sits back, and answers fuckin’ honestly.